The New England cottontail was once so common that Massachusetts author Thornton Burgess adapted one named Peter for the children's stories he penned a century ago.

But the critter that inspired "The Adventures of Peter Cottontail" and the enduring song that came later faces an uncertain future. Its natural habitat is disappearing, and without intervention, it could be unhappy trails for the once-bountiful bunny.

[snip] As neglected agricultural lands reverted back to forest and those forests matured, the population of New England cottontails thinned. More than 80 percent of their habitat disappeared over the past 50 years, according to the nonprofit Wildlife Management Institute.

This sounds so very Progressive. Now they are going to have to pry the tree huggers off the trees to cut them to save the environment. In ten years, just after the tree huggers are winding up with their “don't hug the trees” therapy, they will have to readjust to hugging trees again. I wonder if we will be suffering from global warming or reeling in fear of planetary glaciation at that time.

6
posted on 03/30/2013 1:42:02 PM PDT
by Colorado Doug
(Now I know how the Indians felt to be sold out for a few beads and trinkets)

We have similar stupidity here in Toronto. Some bureaucrat decided that the “natural state” of the ravines in the city consisted of hardwood trees and little undergrowth the proceeded to wipe out all the shrubs & plants. They didn’t take into account the fact that this “natural” state was the result of Indian hunters burning the undergrowth to flush out game.

What, did the rabbits adapt to the unnatural state of cleared fields and pastures in just a few hundred years?

I must be on the wrong planet-the rabbits live in the woods/forest here-they avoid the open spaces in the full daylight because of these things called “hawks”, and a bigger thing called a mountain lion. I see them all the time when I’m hiking, staying under the trees-which happens to be where plants are growing on the ground...

They sure as hell ain’t extinct in my backyard and they are treating my lawn like they paid to have it installed/planted. Mr. Bunny, meet Mr. Pellet gun. Yes even the one with the bad leg. Little grass eatin’ varmints. To add to the misery, we’re in a “no shooting” zone. Now, where is that suppressor and some .22 bb caps or some sub-sonic rounds? The dog? If they’re out there when he goes out he just kinda looks at ‘em and says “Hey fellers. How’s it goin’?”

19
posted on 03/30/2013 2:46:45 PM PDT
by rktman
(BACKGROUND CHECKS? YOU FIRST MR. PRESIDENT!(not that we'd get the truth!))

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